Improvement in gr



UNIT D STATES PATENT QFFICE.

HIMSELF AND FRANKLIN B. OOLTON, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT lN GRAPPLES FOR DREDGERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 155,725, dated October 6, 1874; application filed August 26, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER JAMES HoL- ROYDE, formerly of Worcester, England, but now residing at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Grapple, of which the following is a specification:

The main object of my invention is to simplify the construction of that class of excavating apparatus which consists of jaws to be opened when lowered to the material to be removed, and then closed, so as to seize the maearth, stones, and other materials to beremoved from the beds of rivers, canals, 860. To the upper arm 12 of each leverB is jointed a link, 01, bya shaft, f, common to allthe links, and to the upper arm b of each lever B is hinged a similar link, d, by the shaft f, and the upper ends of all these links are connected to a shaft, E, to which is also hinged a bail,

, G, as shown in Fig. 2. The sets of levers are maintained at a proper distance apart by sleeves in 011 a shaft, A, and by similar sleeves n on the shafts f f, there being like sleeves on the shaft E, as distance-pieces between the links. In connection with the above-described apparatus there are two drums, one for hoisting and the other for lowering, the hoisting chain or rope q being connected to the bail G,

and the lowering-rope terminating at its lower end in two ropes, :r m, which are connected to a link, 1, on the shaft A. In order to prevent the jaws to from coming into actual contact with each other, I use on each end of the apparatus the links t t and w w, the former being connected to the shaft A and the latter to the shaft E, and all four links being connected together.

It will be readily seen that these sets of links, while they permit the free opening and closing of the jaws, restrict the closing of the same by assuming the position shown in Fig. 1. When the lowering-rope has sole control of the apparatus and the hoisting-rope is loose, the weight of the links 61 d and arms I) b will open the jaws; but when the apparatus is under. the sole control of the hoisting-rope and the lowering-rope is loose, then the jaws will be closed.-

When the device has to be employed for removing sand, mud, loose earth, or gravel, I attach to the jaws the sideplates o v and end plates at u, for obvious reasons.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, in a grapple, of the levers B B, connected to the shaft A, links d d, hoisting rope q, attached to said links, and lowering-rope 00, secured to the shaft A, all as set forth.

2. The combination of the system of levers B B, shaft A, and links d d and shaft E, with the links t t and w to.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WALTER J. HOLROYDE.

Witnesses:

WM. A. STEEL, HUBERT HowsoN. 

